Oil burner electrode gauge



Oct. 27, 1953 6 w ROWELL 2,656,615

OIL BURNER ELECTRODE GAUGE Filed May 9 1951 Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OIL BURNER ELECTRODE GAUGE William G. Rowell, Quincy, Mass.

Application May 9, 1951, Serial N 0. 225,318

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a gauge which may be used in setting the electrodes of an oil burner.

As is well known in the oil burner industry, the so-called gun type oil burner has a nozzle thereon which is designed to spray the oil into the fire box in a generally conical form. The angularity of the cone of oil varies with difierent nozzles, according to the requirements of different fire boxes. In general, however, the included angle of the cone of oil will run from to 90.

It is also well understood in the oil burner industry that the electrodes providing the spark gap by which the burner is ignited should preierably be located in a particular relation to the cone of oil. In general, this position is close to the cone but not actually in the oil spray. If the electrodes are in the oil, the spark may not jump the gap and there will not be ignition. On the other hand, even if the burner should ignite properly under such conditions, the electrodes will in time become carbonized and may become short circuited. Conversely, the electrodes must not be located so far away out of the oil spray that they will be out of range of an ignitable mixture.

It is customary in this field for oil burner nozzles to be removed periodically and cleaned. In

so doing, the electrodes are also removed and their position with respect to the nozzle must be re-established when the nozzle is repositioned in the burner. The problem of accurately locating the electrodes with respect to the nozzle is a difiicult one and heretofore has generally been carried out solely under the judgment of the serviceman. No means or equipment of inexpensive accurate character has been available to assist him in the proper positioning of the electrodes in relation to the particular nozzle being serviced.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide a gauge which the servicemen or installer may carry with him which may be applied to all types and sizes of conventional gun type nozzles and which when so applied will determine at once the proper position of the elec trodes for use with the nozzle in question. The gauge will also indicate the proper lateral spacing of the electrodes so that a spark of correct intensity will be produced when the automatic controls call for initiating operation of the burner.

The invention also includes structure which will make it possible to use the gauge on the conventional nozzle having a hexagonal base regardless of the angular position of the hexagonal portion.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the description pro- 2 ceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a plan view of an oil burner nozzle to which the gauge has been applied and showing the electrodes in proper position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the gauge alone with the nozzle socket portion in section.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig 1, the pipe! is that running from the oil burner pump into the fire box. The outline of the conventional surrounding tubular housing through which the air from the blower passes on its way to mix with the oil that is ejected from the nozzle is indicated at 4.

The nozzle structure comprises a threaded nut 6 screwed on the end of pipe 2. This nut has a cylindrical extension 8 on the threaded end of which is screwed a conventional spray nozzle l0 shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and in section in Fig. 4. Nozzle l0 comes in a variety of interchangeable sizes with the size of the aperture ll therein controlling both the volume of oil that may be sprayed into the fire box and the angle of the cone of sprayed oil emitted therefrom. The hexagonal nut portion of the nozzle is of uniform size regardless of the nozzle aperture.

The gauge constituting the present invention comprises a nozzle socket member I 2 having a cylindrical interior 14 large enough to fit easily over the hexagonal portion 16 of the nozzle. A spring pressed ball I8 is located in a hole 20 in extension 22 which ball is prevented from escape by an inner lip 24. The ball, however, projects inwardly far enough to engage a face of the nozzle l0. Since in tightening nozzle 10 on extension 8 the hexagonal faces of the nozzle will stop at unpredictable angular positions, the socket member when applied to the nozzle willassume a position related to the particular position of the hexagonal faces. Obviously the nozzle will not present in each instance a horizontal face as shown in Fig. 4 against which ball 18 may rest in centered position. Accordingly it becomes essential to provide means for rotation between the socket member l2 and the extending gauge plate. To provide this arrangement the following construction is used.

At the right hand end of nozzle socket I2 is a hole 26 axially alignedwith the hole H in nozzle Ill. Through hole 26 extends a screw 28 having a head 30. The threaded end of the screw 28 is in corresponding threaded engagement with an enlarged portion 32 of gauge plate 34. That portion of the screw 28 that passes through hole 26 is not in threaded engagement and is free to turn therein. Thus gauge plate 34 and the affixed screw 28 may be rotated with respect to nozzle socket I2 with the head 30 turning within the nozzle socket. Ease of rotation is facilitated by the inclusion of a washer 36.

On the gauge plate are a group of marks which appear asza pluralitygof spaced. parallel linesthe lower six-of" which have been marked in'Figs. 2 and 3 as 0, /2 and These lines and the markings thereon indicate that they are each Thus,.-. the unev one eighth of an inch apart. marked top line above the inch line will be the inch line or, in other words, of'an inch from the line marked 0. The 0 line T,is in. horizontal alignment with the center line ofscrew 28 'and'- the aperture ll through nozzle [0 but is later-ally.

disposed with respect to the axis of the nozzle by a..- distance .equal. to--. the thickness of. gauge plate 34.

Gauge :plate 3 4 also carries a .second: group :of lines which radiate at different angles.- These. lines cross the previously referred .to-parallel lines.- and are marked and It willabe -noted=that. if all.ofthese angular lines wereprojected to -the-.left. theywould. con verge at the nozzle orifice H. Since the thick-1 ness of screw headr iifl limits the. longitudinal movement of. thegauge .to the I left and theqhead Sit-abuts against-therendof nozzle i0, the-angular; lines. just. referred; to may bereadily marked on the-gauge plate-34mm converge at: the nozzle, orificea.-l regardless of the. particular nozzle in use. Theereverse; side. ofgauge plate 34-may be similarly. .markedforconvenience but. markings on; one side will suffice.

From the f oregoing, it will. be understood that. the nozzle socket? l2 may be placed over any nozzle andqthe screw head- 30. will; come into eneasement-with the-outer :endof the nozzle orifice. The; depth of nozzle socket I2 .is. short enoughrso that its edge willv not engage the smooth larger dimension of the cylindrical portion 8; the gauge is. installed whilerthe electrodes are inposition, the gauge plate u-will assome the position'shownin Figs. 1 and.2.. If the. burner has been operating properly and the elec.-. trodes are in.-their. correct position with respect to the. nozzle, thepointof engagement, .of. the r electrodes with-the marked face of thegauge plate may-v be-quickly andreadily noted.- FQPBX-u ample, in-Fig 2 it will be-seen thatv the electrode. engages the plateat the horizontal line marked ;.and along the sloping. line:rnarked.30-. This; means-that the point of. engagement. of theelectrode is at a distance /z-iI1Ch:&bOVe theaxis of the. nozzle-orifice and along aline running upwardly. at 15". from the horizontal. This indicates that theincluded angle .of the conical spray 1530f, and this. angle should be foundstampedon the. particularnozzlethen. in use. If. theoperator. then .disassemblesthenozzle for cleaning pm.- poses, he mayyupon: re-assembly, position the. gauge-on-the nozzle and then bringthe electrodes, back to their original positions at which-location the burner had previously functioned:properly.

. If on inspection .of. the. nozzle; the marking thereon should indicate a 45 nozzle instead of a l 30 nozzle, and it. was desired that the electrodes should be positioned adjacent. the. 45;" cone. spray thenthe ends of electrodes 38'and- 40- vwould be locatedat the-positionswhereqthe- /2 i11Ch hOI'ir: zontalalinecrosses the 45? line. The-electrodes- 4 when thus repositioned may then be securely clamped to remain thereafter fixed in relation to the nozzle orifice. When the positioning of the electrodes has been completed, the nozzle socket may then be slid off the nozzle with the gauge plate sliding between the electrodes.

The thickness of the gauge plate is equal to the preferred distance the ends of the electrodes should be spaced for producing the best spark. Thus, when the electrodes. have been properly positionedand anchored the pointswill be in exactly the right position with respect to the cone ofoil and will be spaced properly to produce a sparkcapable .of igniting the oil spray.

In installing electrodes initially the gauge can bei-usedain substantially the same way. First, the servicemen. reads.the markings on the nozzle which'willindicate' the angle of the cone of the oil;.;spr.ay.. This tells him at once along which of the angle lines the electrode points must be placedr- He. may then setthe electrodes any. place along thisline with. complete. assurancelthat the spark. will be. closeenough to the oil. spray to ignite it but still be outside. the area whichmight.

produce carbonization. of the electrodes.v

The markings on the. gauge. plate. are. preferablystamped or cast thereinfor long. life and. good visibility. The impressions ofv themark.- ings arenot. severe enough toaffect the. spacing. of the electrode points.

It is my intention to. coverall. changes and modificationsbf the example of..the.invention hereinmhosen for purposes of the disclosure which. do. not constitute. departures from. the.

spirit and. scope of the invention.

I.claim:.,

1... An oil. burner electrode gauge comprising a nozzle'socket adapted. to fit. over an. oil burner nozzle having. an. orifice. therethrough, a ,mem.-.

ber within said socket. inaxial. alignment with the orificeof said nozzle. and adapted to limit. the movement. of. said nozzle intosaid socket. a gauge plate-pivoted to. saidnozzle socket on an axis-alignedwith said nozzle. orifice axis when. saidnozzle is positioned insaidsocket whereby regardlessof the. angular. positionof said socket with respect to said .nozzle said gauge-plate may be-rotatedfto vertical position, and markings on. atzleastoneface of. saidgauge plate for.- assisting, indeterminingthe. location of. the points of the oil burner igniting electrodes withrespect to said orifice,- said ,markings. comprisinga plurality of. parallellines, all parallel to the said nozzle orifice axis and a plurality of converging lines -cross-. ing. said parallel lines, saidconverging. lines. directed to converge substantially at said nozzle orifice when. said nozzle is positioned in. said socket;

2. An oil burner electrode gaugeas set forth. in: claim 1, the thickness of vsaidgauge plate being approximately equal. to the normal spacing of. electrode pointsfor proper-operation in ignitingthe. oil. emitted from saidnozzle. V

3. Anoilburner electrode gauge comprisinga socket member 'adapted-to be positioned over an oilburner nozzle having an orifice, means for renozzle may be introduced into. said socket where v by the horizontal distance from the exit of. said orifice to-said .gauge plate will be constant regardlessof. the-particular nozzle .on. which said socket may be placed, and markings on at least one face of said gauge plate for assisting in determining the location of the points of the oil burner igniting electrodes with respect to said orifice, said markings comprising a plurality of parallel lines, all parallel to the said nozzle orifice axis and a plurality of converging lines crossing said parallel lines, said converging 1ines directed to converge substantially at said nozzle orifice when said nozzle is positioned in said socket.

4. An oil burner electrode gauge comprising a nozzle socket adapted to fit closely over the hexagonal nut portion of a conventional oil burner nozzle having an orifice, means within said socket for engaging said nozzle and limiting the distance said nozzle may be moved into said socket, said means comprising a screw threaded member extending through the end of said socket with the head thereof within said socket, a gauge plate having an enlarged portion at one end thereof into which said screw threaded member is secured, said gauge plate rotatable with respect to said nozzle socket along an axis in alignment with said orifice axis when said nozzle socket is positioned on said nozzle, the thickness of said gauge plate being equal to the proper spacing between the points of igniting electrodes, said gauge plate having markings on at least one face thereof for assisting in determining the location of the electrode points with respect to said nozzle orifice, said markings comprising a plurality of parallel lines, all parallel to the said nozzle orifice axis-and a plurality of converging lines crossing said parallel lines, said converging lines directed to converge substantially at said nozzle orifice when said nozzle is positioned in said socket.

5. An oil burner electrode gauge comprising a socket member adapted to fit closely over an oil burner nozzle having an orifice, said socket member provided with means positioned within the socket for locating said socket relative to said nozzle and with means for holding said socket fixed with respect to said nozzle, a gauge plate pivotally attached to said member for rotation about an axis aligned with the axis of said orifice whereby said plate can be brought to position between said electrodes regardless of the angular position of said member on said nozzle, said gauge plate having markings thereon for determining the position of the ends of the electrodes used to ignite the oil emitted from said orifice.

6. An oil burner electrode gauge as set forth in claim 5, some of the markings on said gauge plate being non parallel and sloping in the same general direction to converge at or close to the point where said nozzle orifice would be when said member is mounted on a nozzle.

'7. An oil burner electrode gauge as set forth in claim 5, some of the markings on said gauge plate being non parallel and sloping in the same general direction to converge at a point in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the said orifice and in a plane including said axis and at right angles to said gauge plate when said gauge is in position on said nozzle.

WILLIAM G. ROWELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,135,296 Towne Nov. 1, 1938 2,498,823 Peterson Feb. 28, 1950 

